American Horror Story Trailer: Neil Patrick Harris Is A Crazed Murderer

American Horror Story: Freak Show ended its 2014 run with an austerely complicated look at the life of Pinhead Pepper, and it’ll kick off 2015 with one Neil Patrick Harris as a saw-wielding magician. Or something. It must be seen to be half-understood.

Harris will play Chester, who is apparently a man of many (top) hats. He’s introduced as the new owner of the Freak Show, which I guess means Elsa is headed out the door to fulfill that TV prophecy shown in the last episode. He looks like a suave enough guy, already serving as a love interest for Dot and Bette. But more importantly, he’s some kind of a magician with the old “sawing a woman in half” trick as part of his act. And in true American Horror Story fashion, it’s not a trick! (Or even an illusion, Michael.) He kills at least one person using that saw, as seen below.

Unless it’s some kind of a double blind, and the blood and murder are fake. If that’s the case, I would be kind of pissed off. Is that too sadistic? Whatever.

So, even if the whole killer angle wasn’t a part of it, he’s also a ventriloquist from the looks of things. We don’t get to see his act at all, which is disappointing. I bet he employs some music. There’s a brief shot with a woman who looks like the doll that Chester is using. Could that be someone he killed in the past, and the doll is some kind of a trophy to mark the event? I’m sincerely hoping he has a caravan full of creepy ass dummies like this.

Harris, who was in the running to appear on American Horror Story in Season 1, is set to appear on at least two episodes, and it looks like he’ll fit in nicely with Dandy, who picked up the whole killer tip when Twisty died. Harris’ hubby David Burtka will show up in the finale, and it sounds like Chester will be around for it.